Tent



C. M. WICKSTRUM TENT May 4-, 1926. 1 ,583,039

Filed Feb. 23, 192: ZSheets-Sheet 1 (Lmminlwtrum May 4 1926.

C. M. WICKSTRUM TENT Filed Feb. 23,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jig. 6.

Jig. 8. J

Patented M ay 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; j

"E0113 1!. WICKSTRUM, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

TENT.

Application filed. February as; 1923. Serial No. 620,020.

'mentsin tents and frames for the same.

The invention is particularly useful in enclosing the space about gravesin cemeteries and alms to provide a collapsible structure which may beerected by a single person without assistance and which permits offolding into a small space for storage or transportation from one toanother part of the cemetery.

An object of the invention is to provide a tent of this character whichwill adapt itself to the uneven ground usually found in cemeteries, toprovide an enclosure wherein the act of 'lowerin the casket into thegrave will be obscure from the vision of relatives and in which thedevice will provide a housing for the ceremonies in inclement weather.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the inventlon will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved tent frame.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing one cornerof the frame.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a detail.

Figure. 4 is a. fragmentary perspective view of an enlarged scaleshowing the joint between the arched members.

Figure 5 is a side view of one of the stakes.

Fi re 6 is a perspective view of the assemb ed tent in position over agrave.

Figure 7 shows a side view of a portion of a frame in the collapsedposition.

gigure 8 is a plan v1ew of the ridge pole, an

Figure 9 is a similar view of one of the side rods.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, 10 designates a gravewhich we will assume has been recently dug in a cemetery for burialpurposes. In Figure '6 this grave and the surrounding parts are shown tobe enclosed by the improved tent which comprises a top 11 side walls 12,a rear wall 13 and front curtains 14 which may be drawn together toenclose the'tent entirely or moved apart as indicated in Figure 6 toreveal the interior. If desired the top 11 may be bordered by frln e orother ornamental material indicate at 15.

The frame within the tent is shown in assembled relation in Figure 1 andconsists of four tubular posts 16 erected upon stakes shown moreparticularly in Figure 5 and consisting of pointed shanks 17 adapted toenter the ground and having a shoulder -18 to receive hammer blows bywhich the stake is driven into frozen ground. A rod 19 extends upwardlyfrom the shoulder and forms a fpart of the stake, said rod having aseries 0 perforatlons 20 adaptedto register'with a perforation throughthe lower portion of each of the posts 16. Through the aliningperforations a pin 21 is inserted. In this way the structure may be madeto assume a level fposition without regard to the character o the groundabout the grave.

At the top of each post 16, as shown in Figure 2, forks 22 and 23 areprovided to receive the lug 24 which projects down from the arch or topframe bar 25. A shaft 26 passes through the forks 22 and 23 and alsothrough the lug 24 in order to pivotally hold the parts together. Theshaft 26 is flattened upon its outer end as indicated at 27 'to secureit in place at this end. The other end of the shaft carries an angleiron 28 having the perforation 29 indicated in Figure 3 to receive anarm 30 extending from the side spacing rod 31, the end of which abutsagainst the flattened upper surface of the posts 16.

The rod 31 is shown more particularly in Figure 9 and it carries nearits opposite ends tWo such arms 30 each having perforations 32 in whichto receive the locking pins 33 shown in Figure 2. These pins have heads34 by which they may be inserted and removed and they are likewiseinserted through openings 35 made in the arms 36. The arms 36 arepivotedupon the shaft 26 and similar arms 37 are also pivoted upon Thearch members are preferably of thin spring steel or some suchappropriate material and while they may be made in one piece, they arepreferably formed of companion sections and 39 1o1ned togetherintermediately as by the joint shown in Figure 4 which consists of asingle central lug 40 projecting from the member 39 between a pair ofsimilar lugs 41 upon the member 25. Through the intermeshing lugs ispassed a pivot pin 42 permitting of the collapse of the sections asindicated 1n Figure 7. The member 25 is provided with a shoulder 43arranged in the path of an abutment 44 of the member 39 to restrlct theup ward opening of these two arch members. At the point is carried ancar 45 pro ect1ng downwardly and provided with a perforation 46 toreceive the rod 47. This rod extends downwardly and is provided at 1tslower end with an eye 48 through which passes the cord or wire 49connected with opposite bars 38. For instance one of the ends of "thewire 49 may be permanently coupled to a rod 38 as indicated at 50 whilethe other end is provided with a snap hook 51 by which this end isdetachably coupled with the opposite bar 38.

The pins 42 in the central o nts of the arched members are provided withappropriate webs 52 projecting inwardly from the frames and adapted toreceive the downturned ends 53 of the ridge pole 54 illustrated inFigure 8. When the canvas top 11 is in place, the ridge pole is retainedfrom riding upwardly out of engagement with the webs 52.

In the use of the device, the front and rear frames are of courseindependent of each other, they being merely coupled by theridge pole54. ,The side rods 31 have no connection with the posts 16 but merelyrest against the fiat surface thereof and are prevented fromdisengagement or rotation about the shafts by the presence of thelocking pins 33 and the engagement of these pins with the arms 36.

Each of the frames in its folded condition assumes the positionindicated in Figure 7, where the two posts are allowed to approachclosely to one another, thus occupying only a relatively small space andrendering the structure convenient for carrying about the cemetery. Inthis condition the arch members 25 and .39 are collapsed downwardlyagainst their respective posts. To assemble the device, the posts aredrawn apart and the snap hook 51 engaged with its proper bar 38 fromwhich, in Figure 7 it has been shown separated. The bars 25 and 39 arethen pushed upwardly, springing in the position under tension until theyassume a position in which the shoulder 43 strikes the abutment 44, Inthis condition the resilient character of the arch members will placethe cables 49 under tension and the rods 47 will assume the positionsindicated upon the stakes and adjusted upon the shanks 19 of the stakesuntil the frame assumes a correct level position. The side bars 31 arethen put into-position, the arms 30 being inserted through theperforations 29 into angle irons 28 and being locked in posi-' tion byinserting the pins 33 in place.

By following this up with the adjustment of the ridge pole 54 tothe'webs 52, the completion of the frame is arrived at and the onerequirement is to place the canvas top and sides about the frame. Thetop is sustained by the arch pieces while the side bars 31 provide forholding the canvas sides and the cables 49, which are under heavytension, form adequate supports for the rear wall 13 and for theslidable curtains 14 at the front. The curtains may be supported onrings for sliding movement. These curtains may be drawn closed to shutfrom view the actual operation of lowering the casket into the grave andthus to spare the relatives the unnecessary sorrow of wit.- nessing thisharrassing ceremony. The tent also provides an adequate enclosure forhousing the funeral party in case of snow or rain or to protect theparty from wind and will be found very desirable in winter and ininclement weather. may be easily taken down and subsequently erected atanother part of the cemetery and the construction is such that it willnot suffer by repeated disassembly and erection.

The structure will of course also be founduseful for campers andautomobile tourists use on account of its compactness and ease withwhich it is transported.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of thevarious parts, and obviously changes could be made 1n the constructionherein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, itbeing only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is 1. In a tent frame construction, supporting postshaving openings, angle irons having 1 shafts, said shafts adapted topass,

through the openings. of the posts, arms pivotally connected to thesupporting posts,

by the shafts, said angle irons having openings, connecting rods havinglaterally extended arms formed with openings, said laterally extendedarms adapted to pass through the openings of the angle irons, saidpivoted arms having openings, and locking pins extendin through thelaterally extended arms and a apted to pass into the openings of thepivoted arm for securing the supporting posts against movement.

2. In a tent frame construction, supporting The enclosure posts, angleirons havin openings secured necting rods, laterally extended armsform-- to the support' posts eonnecting rods, ing a art of theconnecting rods, and laterallyextending arms having connection s need Inthe ends of the rod to en age with the connecting rods and ada' ted to te suplportmg posts, said arms exten ing 5 pass through the'openings ofthe angeirons', throng the opemngs of the angle rons, a. pivoted armsconnected with the sup'gorting arms plvo ally c n c ed o the supportlngposts, and locking ins extending trough P t and means l' y e t r lly thelaterally exten ed arms and engaging e ended arms and adapted to engagethe the pivoted arms for securing the rods 5 mounted on-the pg g P for 1against movement with respect to the sups 13017611191315 of t 9 S Wlth Iti t v spect to t e supporting posts. 3; In a tent frame construction,support- In s Wherwf have afilFed my ing posts, angle irons secured tothe supslgnaturertmg posts and extending inwardly there-- v one, andangle irons having openings, con- I CECIL M, WIOKSTRUM.

